Seriously. Have you ever met a family that was so damn talented you just wanted to punch them because YOU can't even draw a straight line.....using a straight edge?

That's our family.

My dad drew beautiful pencil drawings when he was a young boy that my grandmothers framed and proudly hung on her wall.

My mom. Where do I start. Growing up we were ALWAYS doing something creative. I was the kid who had jute hanging from the ceiling in the living room where my mom was working on the next plant holder or hanging table.....yes, those tables hung and held all sorts of fragile objects. Super cool. Right?

We also had a kiln in our garage. Anybody else have a kiln in your garage growing up? And what is a kiln anyways? Well let me tell ya. A kiln is one hot mother f'er, that's what it is. We would paint on ceramic/clay (not sure what you call the mixture) that we had poured into our very own molds and then fired the creations. Fire that is what it was called. Hot. Hot. Fire. And. Yes. We had a ton of beautifully painted ceramics displayed in our home and if you were related or a friend you had them in your home too. We shared, that's how we roll.

The creative talent didn't stop with our parents. They so kindly passed it on to us kids.....well, most of us.

One of my little brothers painted an amazing motorcycle mural on his bedroom wall. He has a good eye (that's something special creative people have.....a good eye, don't be jealous) but didn't turn his skill into anything more than a secret he holds near his creative soul.

Another brother from the same mother created a successful restaurant. A restaurant that's design and menu are so very different than any other restaurant in the area. He also supports the art community each month by displaying in his restaurant a different artists art each month. Kuddos Bro.

My sister is so dang talented she can pretty much work with any medium and create a beautiful piece of art. She's a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute and is serious about her art career. She's not afraid to step out of her comfort zone and try a technique. She has welded, torched, painted, sculpted and created some amazing pieces. I'm sure I've left out some tools of her trade but you get the picture. She's good. Real good.

Like my/our mom she wasn't stingy with her creative abilities she passed them on to her two kids. Her son creates the most beautiful carved wood handle knives you've ever laid your eyes on. Her daughter just created the most ingenious beautiful wood dog crate/desk combo. These kids got talent ya'll.

Then there's me. I love designing. Anything and Everything. My initial plan out of high school was to go to college and become an architect. Big Fat Fail. Didn't happen, the whole college thing...well, at least at that time. But I still had this thing for design boiling in my blood. I seriously could not and still can't go into a home or building without redesigning it. So when you invite me over and it seems I've withdrawn into myself I'm really just redesigning your entire house and the decor. Sorry......but not really, I'm enjoying myself.

I didn't become the successful architect I dreamed about but I did shift those creative vibes to designing jewelry. Most of my designs I've simply taught myself how to get it to the end piece. A lot of trial and error. But I think I'm ready to take some classes and take my designs to the next level. Scary and exciting at the same time.

Not to leave my creative legacy in my own studio my talents rubbed off on my daughter as well. She is all over the place with her talents. This girl lugged a 8 pound Marilyn Monroe bust from KC to Tulsa to bring to her momma. She has piddled in clay, wood, acrylic, oils, photography and business. Not to brag or anything but everything she has dipped into she has made beauty and success.

With all of this said.....nobody is surprised to see me and my sis join our talents together. We are participating in our first show together her in a month and we are so pumped. You guys will be in awwwww! The show we are doing together is in Olathe, Kansas at the Fall Swing. September 30 - October 1. It's gonna be in a pumpkin patch ya'll, how cool is that? Oh, and there's wine too. BONUS!!! Hosted by the Strawberry Indie Craft Fair at 13875 S. Gardener Rd. Olathe, Kansas. In the area, come see us.

I hope you're ready for us Kansas City. We are the Spirited Sisters.

Her and I have been through HELL and back but one thing is for sure our love for our creativity never died. We know you'll love our styles as much as we do.

Oh crap!

Life sure has handed me a pile of crap at times and I bet you can totally relate. This blog series Spirited Sister is all about getting down and dirty with just how ugly life can get and how you can come out smelling like a rose or patchouli (my preferred smell good).

Honestly though, I know I'm not the only one out there in the universe who has been or is stuck holding a pile crap and then looking at it like it's gonna tell us how to NOT be holding this pile of crap.

Girlfriend, let me just say this, NOBODY and I mean nobody wants to be in this place.....the crap holding place, EVER.

So. Why. Did I find myself over and over again at this same place with my hand full. You're agreeing with me, RIGHT? Because you've found yourself here more times than you want to confess to.

That's okay no need to confess babes, it's and unspoken understanding with most women. Hell, most days I believed it was a rite to passage into womanhood. Things just kept piling up. And. I'm not talking about the laundry although it sure was in the midst of the daily struggles.

The crap I'm talking about....well at least my list.... is, you finally get ahead and then: the car breaks down, the washer breaks, the baby needs new shoes, the baby gets sick, you get sick, you need new shoes, it's the holidays, prices go up on EVERYTHING, and the list goes on and on.

These three categories will be the topics of the Spirited Sisters Blog Series. You will hear my stories and you will hear from other amazing women who have fought the same or similar battles that you and I have or are fighting.

You will find that you are not alone. You are not broken. You can lift yourself up and out of this pile of crappity crap and move forward with grace and determination to achieve all that you wish to achieve.

I'm not a licensed counselor. But. I have lived and learned a lot in my life. I feel that our experiences...the good and the bad....can truly be what another is needing to hear.

Interested in sharing your story with the Spirited Sisters head here to fill out the form for admission.

I’m so excited to share with you my love affair with essential oils. I say affair because, let me tell you, these amazing oils are part of my everyday everything. No kidding!

My Oil Journey

May 2014. At first, I just went with the flow and used the oils primarily for diffusing so that my house would smell so refreshing and boy did it smell good. One weekend I had time to piddle around with the oils so I pull out some bowls and spoons rounded up a spray bottle, dug in the drawer for some roller bottles I previously bought for who knows what and got busy making a bug spray, a roll on for pains, and a roll on for cuts.

So now I’m armed and not so dangerous with my small teeny collection of oil remedies. The next weekend I packed up my new BF (my diffuser) and grabbed my oils and bikini and headed to the lake to meet up with my for reals BFF.

This IS What Happen When I Got To The Lake

I start unpacking my super cool oil collection and my BF is watching me with the ever so curious eyes as I fill the diffuser and start it up, unpack my bug spray, and lay out my oils. I proceed to start spraying everyone with my super cool and wonderful smelling bug spray and we head out to the deck. The entire time we are out there not one single bug came near us. How cool is that. And no chemicals…..even cooler.

My Love Affair With Oils Started And I'm Not One Bit Mad About It

I couldn’t wait to make other oil recipes. And that’s exactly what I did. I now make my own face wash, face serum, face lotion, body lotion, household cleaner, fabric softener, hand soap, bug spray, lotion for poison ivy, sleepy time lotion and many other remedies. My next recipes I made was a Sea Salt spray for my hair and sunscreen. This new way of living is pretty dang exciting. I now know every single ingredient in my stuff.....all of my stuff. Stuff that I'm applying to my skin, the largest cell surface on our body that absorbs all the things and sends it straight into our system.

Basically, since May 2014 I have not taken a single Ibuprofen or Advil, used OTC deodorant, toothpaste, face products, sunscreen, allergy meds, or household cleaning products. I am so happy that I have been able to reduce the amount of chemicals that I put in/on my body and in the air. How awesome is this. Naturally made by the earth and offers so much more to our beautiful lives than any bottle of pepto bismol will ever offer.

No More Candles In My House

Did I mention I no longer use candles or other types of smell goods for the house…..just my diffuser. I also have not called in to work sick like many of my co-workers. When I feel something going on (like I might be getting sick) I go to my oils and BAM they do their magic. Not even joking. I DO NOT have a primary care physician.

So where do I get my oils? Not at the grocery store. Not at the health food store. Nope. I get my Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils from Young Living. YL oils are pure no synthetic additives added. YL harvests all of their oils and they do this all over the world. Really a fascinating company.

How To Start Your Oil Journey

I started my oil journey out with a essential oil starter kit. The kit includes a diffuser (which I run every single day) and a variety of oils to begin with.

If you have any questions about oils feel free to contact me. I would love to help you get started on a healthier journey.

I could go on for hours if not days about these lovely little oils and all the people I have helped by introducing them to the oils but you probably want to get started on your own oil journey so that you can also share with your loved ones.

If you're ready to join me on the oil journey you can sign up here. I can walk you through sign up or we can meet up if you're in the Tulsa area. Let me know how I can help.

I almost forgot.....this bracelet is an essential oil diffuser bracelet. Add two drops of your favorite oil to palm of hands and roll bracelet in between your hands and now you have an oil diffuser to wear. How awesome is that.

Seriously though, these oils have changed my life in so many ways. I haven't felt healthier than I do right now. I love that I can simply refer to my essential oil guide book and learn ways to take care of ailments without resorting to using toxic drugs.